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The one man show

 Raised on the South-side of Syracuse NY, Dexter McKinney has been able to transform his life experience into a work of art.  This thought provoking one-man show invited the audience into a world where identity, love and dedication were prevalent in his everyday life as a young actor and scholar. From the very moment he established his love for acting to the moment he wanted to give up, the young actor indicated a relationship with the audience in which conveyed an important message, we are all Dexter. McKinney's ability to introduce his world to us introduced a sense of trust therefore the audience made sure to listen to every word, laughed and at every joke. In addition, the trials and tribulations, the tears, the laughs, the authenticity of his show was honest, raw and uncut. The audience was able to understand every line in the masterpiece, Mckinney took us on a ride to his childhood. He allowed us into a space where we were able to see the challenges he faced as a young undergraduate at Syracuse. In addition, his childhood memories were not just of his own but also memories his friends and family shared who also was in the audience. From my understanding one man shows are not easy to produce. It takes a special kind of talent to be able to convey your messages with personal life stories. Nevertheless, McKinney was able to successfully produce a master art piece, allowing everyone to crave for more of his work. Growing up I never experienced a one man show, I also felt it was boring and long. However, after experiencing McKinney’s show I am now more interested than ever to participate in more of those kinds of shows.   What stood out for me the most in this experience is the creativity and the story lines, although there were about his life I was able to put myself in his shoes and understand his viewpoints from childhood to grown adults. 

    The sensory details that best captured my experience was the tone of voice he used which was loud and had me on my feet wanting more content. In addition, the experience raised awareness regarding the levels of experience black people face in this day and age. McKinney expressed his concern for the youth in Syracuse he wasn't fortunate as he was to get a college degree and move out. As a result, this was sad and made me realize how lucky i was to be able to partake in a college experience.  The surprises, pleasures, or challenges in the experience were beyond amazing, one example would be when he brought his old college friends on stage to dance (He was part of a fraternity) this was amazing to see because it showed us that despite being an award winning actor he still has connections to his friends and school. Lastly, the preparation (reading source materials) impacted my experience by allowing me to focus close to detail and sensory. Although the audience was quiet I made sure to listen to every sound and view every movement to get the full experience. 

Audience: students/ workers/ hard working people 

Purpose: to inform the general public about McKinney’s accomplishments through my eyes. Though he is an accomplished actor and scholar it can clearly be indicated that his purpose is not just on stage but it is also to inspire others to be the best they can be.

content and writer’s perspective: to inform the general public of how we can all relate to McKinney; the ethics, passion and drive to be able to achieve your dreams but still stay true to who you are.

 analysis of your genre model: expository, I want to expose my readers to a great amount of information, facts, and insight about Dexter McKinney and his one-man show.

Work cited 

https://www.localsyr.com/victory-over-violence/victory-over-violence-dexter-mckinney-inspires-generations/

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The controversy

What is Apartheid? apartheid was a system of legislation that upheld segregationist policies against non-white citizens of South Africa. “Many native south Africans were victim to a system that did not favor non-whites. While the world watched from the outside many natives were brutally killed, raped and left to die of hunger. Such injustices have led to many movements, Mr. Mabulu has made many news headlines for his controversial artwork of Nelson Mandela. Although Mandela was adored by many, this was not enough for Mabulu who attacked South Africa’s first black president in his artwork. Mr. Mabulu continues to defend his controversial work which depicts anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela doing a Nazi salute. "Mandela failed to deliver the dream and that makes him an equivalent of Hitler," he told BBC news. Many South Africans have found this to be distasteful and unpleasant, asking questions such as “how can a South African man feel that way towards a great leader?” Nevertheless, this conversation is well needed, the oppression of minorities is at an unprecedented rate, with that being said someone has to speak up on it. This art controversy might not be a big deal to many but Mabulu has opened up an important issue. Art a form of expression can be used to demonstrate many signs of emotion, but there seems to be limits. In contrast the Nelson Mandela foundation has released a statement regarding the art work stating “The Nelson Mandela Foundation has no expertise in the arts and accepts that freedom of expression gives artists a creative license which at times will result in work which is more or less disturbing, but there are limits.” They continued to say "The work by Ayanda Mabulu which was briefly put on public display without due authorization at the Joburg Art Fair in our view goes beyond reasonable limits. We find it deeply offensive.

click the link to get to know Mabulu

This art controversy demonstrates a human beings’ feelings towards a key issue, despite who is being attacked. Yes, Mandela was an important political figure for millions of South Africans but for Mabulu he was not. Moreover, everyone has different struggles and upbringings so we as a community must learn to understand their reasoning’s to things. As mentioned before art is a beautiful language that has been used for centuries to communicate.

For more apartheid art click here

Who's allowed to judge? Yes Mr. Mabulu's artwork raises a lot of eyebrows  

While many continue to use art for political reasons, Mabulu will also continue to fight for the voice of impoverished South Africans through the use of art.

Who the controversy affects

South Africans are finding themselves in the middle of a controversial art piece, many including the Nelson Mandela foundation have deemed the art work to be disrespectful.  In addition, the controversy affects two groups, the beloved followers of Mandela and the millions of underrepresented poor South Africans who were left on the back burner. In retrospect, there is no right or wrong way to feel about this controversy, everyone’s feelings must be taken into account. Both stakeholders must understand each other’s side and must come up with a solution to settle the dispute. Perhaps Mabulu's can use a different image next time to convey his message. Whatever the case may be this is a sensitive subject that should be taken into consideration by the arts community.  

In conclusion,

Apartheid has affected millions of people in South Africa, the scars and bruises are still there to this day. Many people throughout the years have been able to demonstrate their frustration through the use of art. Likewise, Mabulu brought up an important issue regarding artists and their work. Self-expression is one of the key ingredients to making a master art piece, and with that being revoked are artists really free to express how they feel? Or are they limited? Whatever the answer maybe, we as humans must learn to come together and understand each other’s perspective.

Question and Answer

Describe the style of your genre model (tone, detail, language). How did it influence the style of YOUR guide?

I went for an informative approach, while my tone was serious I wanted my readers to have an emotional connection with my writing. This is a sensitive conversation for not only millions of Africans but also for me, thus influencing my style of writing.

Describe the design of your genre model (media, structure, look). How did it influence the style of YOUR guide?

My design for my genre model was media, I chose to incorporate the controversial image, because it will help my audience have a better understanding of the conversation. In addition, I did not want to include Mabulu’s other bodies of work because I wanted to focus primarily on this piece. This was an important decision in helping me form a style because it did not distract me from talking about other topics.

Describe the sourcing used in your genre model (how is outside source material used). How did it influence the sourcing in YOUR guide?

I used 4 sources, it influenced the sourcing in my guide by helping me build more content for my readers. By providing outside information I was able to incorporate facts. I also included quotes from both stakeholders to help set the tone of the conversation to a serious one.

What is your rhetorical situation? Define your audience (make sure to include demographics, values, etc.), purpose, content and perspective as a writer?

My target audience is both males and female between the ages of 14-30 who were either born or extremely young when the apartheid regime was set into place in South Africa. While it's true many were young this work of art created by Ayanda Mabulu's allowed for a new wave of artwork that showed the countries troubled past. With such art work I hope to inspire and inform my target audience

How did your audience affect a choice you made in your guide? Give me a specific example, quoting your guide?

It affected my choices because I wanted to make sure my audience understood the history behind apartheid and the reasoning’s behind people’s anger. In retrospect I also included both parties' perspectives thus allowing for an unbiased opinion. Ex: “The Nelson Mandela Foundation has no expertise in the arts and accepts that freedom of expression gives artists a creative license which at times will result in work which is more or less disturbing, but there are limits”

How did your purpose affect a choice you made in your guide? Give me a specific example, quoting your guide?

Throughout my whole search, I wanted to pick an artist alongside his art that will provide meaning and knowledge for not just myself but for others who are lost just like me. While for centuries the African context has been exploited for their resources it is artists like Mabulu's who helped bring the conversation to the table  

What is your perspective as a writer? How did it influence your guide? Give me a specific example?

As an educated African woman I take pride in understanding my roots and origins, while my search has yet to end I have taken it upon myself to educate those around me. This art project has inspired me to look deeper. Art in many ways is therapeutically satisfying.  Although Our pain and wounds are still healing, I believe that this art project has granted me an opportunity to learn more about the connection between art and therapy.

How did you use The Method or Notice/Focus/Ranking in your guide? Walk me through your process with specific examples

I used the method guide by including what factors to talk about, this particular topic had many different approaches but I made sure to include the most important details so my audience won’t get lost. For example, I focused the conversation on insuring that both parties’ viewpoints are presented. I included quotes for both stakeholder allowing for an equal representation.

How did you decide to choose this controversy? Why? What did you learn about it? What was the most interesting you learned about this controversy?

My target audience is those who were affected by the controversy on both sides. Though that might be too broad I wanted for both sides to understand the other side's perspective. Nelson Mandela was a political figure that inspired billions across the globe, and for his image to be tarnished was not the right thing to do. In contrast, Mr.Mabulu expressed concern for those millions of Africans living in poverty, he provided insight and a voice for those who couldn't speak up. Both sides have every right to be angry with one another, so my approach was not to expose anyone but rather to be the mediator and to understand.

What was hard about writing a guide?

The hardest part for me was research. Since this is a sensitive topic for me I didn't just want to produce anything but rather to make sure all details are included

What was the best part of this project?

The best part is being able to look at both sides and understand where they are coming from. In addition, it has also allowed me to understand and appreciate the art world and politics. As stated above I decided to include facts and also to make sure both sides' viewpoints are equally portrayed.

Work Cited

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-45488605

https://hyperallergic.com/514537/medu-art-ensemble-and-the-anti-apartheid-poster-the-art-institute-of-chicago/

https://placesjournal.org/article/south-africa-from-township-to-town/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIj-rwspyj6QIVzsDACh3uLgE1EAAYASAAEgKLgfD_BwE&cn-reloaded=1

https://www.history.com/topics/africa/apartheid